Totally Gone off Diesel

[paul salliss]

Still waiting for pics and report on how you find your new machine!!

Can do better than that. There is talk of MBY doing a full article soon................with pictures. Going to be heading back west soon. Although enjoying it up here, just lots of wind farms!!

 

[GrahamHR]

After owning a "modern" diesel for 3 years ( a VP D4), following owning boats with "primitive) american derived V8 petrol engines for 12 years, if I said what everyone expects I wouldn't go back. Actually I would, if petrol was more readily available. The diesel and it's ancillaries are heavy, un-necessarially complicated, sensitive and to be honest, have very stupid design features, (drive and the engine hardware).

 

[Bouba]

After owning a "modern" diesel for 3 years ( a VP D4), following owning boats with "primitive) american derived V8 petrol engines for 12 years, if I said what everyone expects I wouldn't go back. Actually I would, if petrol was more readily available. The diesel and it's ancillaries are heavy, un-necessarially complicated, sensitive and to be honest, have very stupid design features, (drive and the engine hardware).

Petrol is good. But only in outboards

 

[CX54WEK]

After owning a "modern" diesel for 3 years ( a VP D4), following owning boats with "primitive) american derived V8 petrol engines for 12 years, if I said what everyone expects I wouldn't go back. Actually I would, if petrol was more readily available. The diesel and it's ancillaries are heavy, un-necessarially complicated, sensitive and to be honest, have very stupid design features, (drive and the engine hardware).

Not all diesel engines are quite so complicated though. With the age and price bracket of boats the OP was originally looking at it is unlikely to be a modern ECU controlled diesel engine and more likely a solid reliable lump like a KAD32 or AD31/41. Nothing complicated about them in the slightest.

 

[Bigplumbs]

Not all diesel engines are quite so complicated though. With the age and price bracket of boats the OP was originally looking at it is unlikely to be a modern ECU controlled diesel engine and more likely a solid reliable lump like a KAD32 or AD31/41. Nothing complicated about them in the slightest.

I would agree with this. I just wish diesels were not so huge and heavy. My Mercruiser 3.0 ltr at £135 hp is a sweet little thing. I was wondering if many boat builders put 2 of these in 25 foot boats. I know fletcher did some but not sure about others

Dennis

 

[Boat2016]

After owning a "modern" diesel for 3 years ( a VP D4), following owning boats with "primitive) american derived V8 petrol engines for 12 years, if I said what everyone expects I wouldn't go back. Actually I would, if petrol was more readily available. The diesel and it's ancillaries are heavy, un-necessarially complicated, sensitive and to be honest, have very stupid design features, (drive and the engine hardware).

A modern ECU controlled common rail diesel really isn't that difficult to diagnose and repair faults, people seem to be scared of them when there really is no need to be, it's really simple how they work once you understand it

 

[Bigplumbs]

A modern ECU controlled common rail diesel really isn't that difficult to diagnose and repair faults, people seem to be scared of them when there really is no need to be, it's really simple how they work once you understand it

Most things are simple once you understand it. It is the understanding it that is the difficult part

 

[Boat2016]

Most things are simple once you understand it. It is the understanding it that is the difficult part

I know what you mean, I used to take that view until I got to understand it all, it's really not that complicated, get reading up on it and will all be obvious

 

[GrahamHR]

I know what you mean, I used to take that view until I got to understand it all, it's really not that complicated, get reading up on it and will all be obvious

Reading up about it is not enough. I didn't really want to know about my D4 and it's EVC as well as I did about my previous VP 5.7 GSi/ GXi engines. I do now. I was surprised at how big my D4 -300 looked, Taking the top cover off revealed how compact the 4 cylinder engine itself is, It's all the other stuff they stick on it that makes it big and awkward to work on for some things. Things that could quite easily have been better designed as far as maintenance is concerned for no extra cost to VP.

 

[[2068]]

Reading up about it is not enough. I didn't really want to know about my D4 and it's EVC as well as I did about my previous VP 5.7 GSi/ GXi engines. I do now. I was surprised at how big my D4 -300 looked, Taking the top cover off revealed how compact the 4 cylinder engine itself is, It's all the other stuff they stick on it that makes it big and awkward to work on for some things. Things that could quite easily have been better designed as far as maintenance is concerned for no extra cost to VP.

In particular, putting a salt water cooler immediately above the starter motor might not have been a great design decision, with hindsight, but there are many things that are better with a D4.

No smoke, smoother, quieter, fewer belts, and most day to day maintenance items are to hand.

 

[Jim@sea]

Why?

If a seller has stacks of receipts for genuine VP parts, all applied following the correct schedule, and they have called in the pros where the manual says "dealer should do this"...

Yes you are right